Visa-free countries with a North Macedonian passport in 2026
127 destinations without a prior visa - Schengen, China, Japan, Singapore, the UAE, Turkey and almost all of South America. The UK, the USA and Canada require a visa.
In short
A North Macedonian passport gives entry without a prior visa to 127 of 227 countries and territories: the whole Schengen area, Cyprus, Serbia, Turkey, Georgia, China, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, the UAE, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Colombia, with a visa on arrival in Armenia, Jordan, Egypt and the Maldives. The UK, Ireland, the USA, Canada, Mexico, Australia and South Korea require a visa in advance.
| Without a prior visa | 127 of 227: 90 visa-free, 31 on arrival, 6 with an electronic travel authorisation |
|---|---|
| Visa needed in advance | 99, of which 39 by e-visa |
| Schengen and the UK | Schengen area - visa-free, United Kingdom - visa required |
| USA and Canada | USA - visa required, Canada - visa required |
| How to get it | 7 years in the country or 3 years of marriage to a citizen |
| Checked | October 2026 |
The North Macedonian passport opens 127 of 227 destinations without a prior visa: 90 fully visa-free, 31 with a visa on arrival and 6 with an electronic travel authorisation. Its main asset is visa-free entry to the Schengen area since December 2009: up to 90 days in any 180 across Europe.
North Macedonia has been a NATO member since 2020 and is an EU candidate, with accession talks opened in July 2022. But it is in neither the EU nor Schengen, so the passport gives no right to live or work in Europe. On the other hand, visa-free China was added in November 2024 and the UAE in May 2025.
We will work out online when you can apply and what fees and documents will cost for your family.
Where you can go visa-free with a North Macedonian passport
Entry regimes differ in how much preparation the trip needs. Visa-free means the passport is enough and the permitted stay is set at the border. A visa on arrival means a fee and a stamp at the airport or checkpoint. An electronic travel authorisation is a short online form and fee before departure. An e-visa is also online but involves a check and a consular decision. A regular visa means a form, documents, often a personal visit to the consulate and waiting for a decision.
| Region | Visa-free or with an electronic authorisation | Visa on arrival or e-visa | Visa needed in advance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | Schengen area, Cyprus, Belarus, Moldova, Turkey, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania | Russia | United Kingdom, Ireland |
| Caucasus and Central Asia | Georgia, Kyrgyzstan | Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan | - |
| Asia | China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia | Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Maldives | South Korea, Philippines |
| Middle East and Africa | UAE, Israel (online authorisation), Oman, Kenya (online authorisation) | Jordan, Egypt, Tanzania | Saudi Arabia, Morocco, South Africa |
| Americas | Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Panama, Dominican Republic | - | USA, Canada, Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay |
| Oceania | - | - | Australia, New Zealand |
The North Macedonian passport is strongest in Europe, parts of Asia and South America. The whole Schengen area, Cyprus, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Moldova, Belarus, Turkey, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan are visa-free, as are China, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia in Asia, the UAE and Oman in the Middle East, and Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Panama and the Dominican Republic in the Americas.
Armenia, the Maldives, Jordan, Egypt and Tanzania give a visa on arrival, and Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and India an e-visa. The weak spots are the UK, Ireland, the USA, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Paraguay and Uruguay, which require a visa in advance.
The table shows the main destinations for travel, living and business, not all 227 countries and territories. An electronic travel authorisation is issued online within minutes or days; an e-visa is also applied for online, but it is a separate consular decision. Entry rules change several times a year: check with an expert for your trip.
Schengen, the UK, the USA and Canada
Schengen. North Macedonian citizens have entered the Schengen area without a visa since 19 December 2009: up to 90 days in any 180, without the right to work or live there. Since October 2025 fingerprints and a photo are taken at the border in the common entry and exit system. The European Commission is pressing North Macedonia to close its investor citizenship programme and links this to keeping visa-free travel, so the issue is worth watching.
United Kingdom. A UK visa is required: the application is made online, then fingerprints and a photo are given at a visa centre. Ireland also requires a visa, and a UK visa does not replace it.
USA and Canada. Both require a visa in advance. A US tourist visa is issued after a consular interview, a Canadian one after an online application and biometrics.
China and Asia. Since 30 November 2024 China has unilaterally admitted North Macedonian citizens without a visa for up to 30 days for tourism, business and family visits. Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia are also visa-free, while Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia require an e-visa.
UAE. Since 29 May 2025 North Macedonian citizens have entered the UAE without a visa for up to 90 days.
What else a North Macedonian passport gives
Europe without a visa. The passport lets you travel around the Schengen area, Cyprus and the Balkans without consulates or forms. For people living outside Europe this is the main difference from passports that need a Schengen visa for every trip.
A path to the EU. North Macedonia has been negotiating EU accession since July 2022. If it joins, its citizens will gain the right to live and work anywhere in the union, but no accession date has been set.
Dual citizenship. Ordinary naturalisation after 7 years in the country requires giving up your previous citizenship. Spouses of citizens, emigrants and their children under Article 8 of the citizenship law and those granted citizenship in the special interest of the state keep their previous passport. Details are in the article North Macedonia dual citizenship.
Low taxes. Personal income tax and corporate tax in North Macedonia are both 10%. But the passport itself does not make you a tax resident: taxes depend on where you live. More on living and taxes is on the page moving to North Macedonia.
How to get a North Macedonian passport
A North Macedonian passport can be obtained in several ways. Naturalisation requires 7 years of continuous lawful residence, housing and a steady income, knowledge of Macedonian and giving up your previous citizenship. Marriage requires 3 years of marriage to a citizen and one year of continuous residence, with no language exam and no renunciation. Descent covers children of citizens, and emigrants and their children under Article 8 naturalise without the 7 years of residence but must show the language.
A separate route is citizenship in the special economic interest of the state under Article 11: about $230,000 in a private fund or about $460,000 in a business with 10 jobs. The programme barely works: two people received passports under it in 2024 and one in 2025, and in June 2026 the Interior Ministry published amendments that remove the fixed amounts. Amounts are in US dollars at the European Central Bank rate of 6 October 2026, rounded up.
Requirements, timelines and documents are on the page North Macedonia citizenship.
Visa-free Schengen is worth the effort, but choose the route before you spend
The law does not stop you applying for North Macedonian citizenship on your own. But mistakes cost more than the fees: a fund investment whose application is never approved, residence years broken by long absences, a marriage that the check deems fictitious and a previous passport you must give up under ordinary naturalisation. We assess your chances before any money moves, choose a route through marriage, descent or residence and handle the application up to the passport.
The cost of support depends on the route and the family; a manager will calculate it in the chat.
This topic in other countries
Visa-free travel with other passports:
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- Visa-free countries with a US passport in 2026
- What an Argentine passport gives
- What a Vanuatu passport gives
More on this country:
- How much North Macedonia citizenship costs
- Moving to North Macedonia
- Skopje city guide
- Company in North Macedonia
Compare passports of different countries in our 2026 passport overview.
FAQ
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